Dad: Bullied boy died after toilet incident

MEXICO CITY — Mexican officials said Tuesday they are investigating a father’s complaint that his 7-year-old son died after a violent school bullying incident.

The governmental Human Rights Commission in the western state of Jalisco said it is investigating hospital and school officials for possible negligence in the death of the boy, whose name has not been released.

Luis Arturo Jimenez, the director of complaints for the rights commission, said the boy died over the weekend of an acute respiratory infection.

The boy’s father told the commission that an older classmate had forcibly submerged the boy’s head in a toilet at their government-run school in February.

The father said he took the boy to a government hospital, but doctors there failed to detect the infection and told him it was a stomach ailment.

The boy’s condition worsened, apparently because fecal matter from the toilet had entered his lungs, and he died Saturday.

Neither the government agency that runs the hospital, not the Jalisco state Education Department, which runs the school, responded to requests for comment on the allegations.

Because the other boy who allegedly bullied him is only slightly older, it is unclear whether any charges can be brought in the case. Teenagers under 18 can be held accountable in the juvenile justice system.

Join thousands of azcentral.com fans on Facebook and get the day's most popular and talked-about Valley news, sports, entertainment and more - right in your newsfeed. You'll see what others are saying about the hot topics of the day.